Sheet metal bending rolls



A. H. ISENBERG ET AL.

SHEET METAL BENDING ROLLS Filed May 17, 1946 35 rzz l.

Dec. 16, 1947.

2 SheetsSh eet l INVENTORS ALEXANDEIQHJSENBERG RONALIJ N. H/PP ATTORNEY Dec. 16, 1947. ISENBERG ET AL 2,432,666

SHEET METAL BENDING ROLLS Filed May 17, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 INVENTORS AL EXA NOER H. ISENBERG RONALD N. H/PP A7 TORNEY Patented Dec. 16, 1947 SHEET METAL BENDING ROLLS" Alexander H. Isenberg, Woodside, and Ronald -N.l

Hipp, Menlo Park, Calif; said Hipp assignor to said Isenberg Application May 17, 1946, Serial No; 670,442

8 Claims.

Thiswinvention relates to power actuated'rolls for bending or forming sheet metal into tubular form, and the principal object ofthe invention is to provide improvements in this type of machine whereby; its operation is greatly facilitated and the work may be turned out more rapidly.

Particularfeatures andadvanta'ges of the invention'will appearin the following description and inthe accompanying drawings;

In thedrawings.

Fig. l is aperspective view of the bending roll machine asseen fromthe tube discharge end, and with the upper pressure roll released.

Fig. 2 isa straight end elevation of the machine showing the pressure roll locked down in operating position and-with a portion of one of the locking latch bars broken away to reveal the latch roller.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to that of'Fig. 2 but showing the latch bars released and with the nearest yoke of the pressureroll thrown back, leaving its bearing on the free end of the pressure roll.

Fig. dis a side elevation of the machine with the frame and some portions in section so as to reveal the assembled operating elements.

Fig. 5 is a vertical cross section of the upper portion of the machine taken along the line 5--5, of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a vertical cross section of the upper portion of the machine taken along the line 6-6, of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a vertical cross section of the upper portion of the machine taken along the line 'l-'l, of Fig. 4.

Fig. 8 is a view of the pressure roll yoke as of Fig. 5 but showing three more gears for positively driving the pressure roll.

Briefly described the machine comprises a pair of. spaced forming rolls, with a pressure roll mounted on pivoted yokes to swing down into pressure applying relation to a sheet of metal placed. across the forming rolls and latched, and the operation of the yokes, locking latches, and turning of the rolls'all being accomplished preferably by fluid pressure controlled by valves manipulated by an operator at one end of the machine while another operator guides the sheet metal and removes the formed tubes or suitably curved sheet.

In the drawings the frame of the machine includes three vertically disposed plates I, 2, 3, the first and last being at the extreme ends of the machine (which may be of 20 feet more or less in'length) and plate 2 is at an intermediate point 2' spaced from plate I at theends of the length of rollsrequired.

These plates are securely joinedand braced-by channels and angle bars generally designated 4 preferably all'welded in place to forma lon rigid structure.

Extending longitudinally of the frame is a pair of spaced forming rolls 6, 6 which may be solid or hollow, andwhich rolls are ofreduced diameter at their extreme ends seat 6, and rotatably supported in bearings I mounted on the'upper edge of frame plates I and 2.

Rolls Gare given intermediate support at intervals by any desirednumber of sets of-suppo-rting rollers 8' carried on brackets 9 in turn supported on the frame member 4 of the machine, two such sets being shown in Figs. 1 and 4, and-in-which figures the brackets 9wi11 be seen to comprise spaced side plates embracing the pivots 8' at opposite sides-0f the rollers 8. to firmly-support them against outward spreading by the heavy downward pressure to which rolls ii are subjected.

Extending longitudinally above and between the forming rolls 6, 5 is the main pressure roll! which also may be hollow or solid, and which is also preferably of reduced diameter at its ends as at I6 and lil (as by a solid bar inserted and securedin the hollow main portion) and which reduced ends are revolvably supported in suitable bearings in overhead yoke members ll, l2 respectively pivoted at one end as at l3.to frame plates l and 2, the yokes being preferably bifuricated at their endsand in straddling relation-to the frame platesso as to put their. pinsv I 3. in double shear.

By means of theseyoke mountings the upper or pressure roll I!) may be raised and lowered with respect to the loweror forming rolls 6; and to this end theyokes are each pivoted at their heels outwardly of pivots l3 as at I l-to a pair of vertically disposed links i5 straddling the frame plate, and which links are in turn pivoted at their lower ends as at iii to one end of a rocker arm I1; also preferably doubleand straddling the frame plate; and. which rocker arm is pivoted at It to the frame plate, and pivoted at its opposite. end by means of a slot l9to a cross pin20 projecting laterally from a plunger rod 2| of a fluid power cylinder device 22 mounted in an opening 23 cut in the frame plate, plungerrod 2| also operating within an extension 23 of this opening.

By the construction above described itwill be seen that by operation of the fluid power devices 22 the plunger rods 2! may be forcibly raised to pull linksv I5. downward and raise yokes l i-5 and 3 thereby raise the pressure roll it, and that upon relaxing of the fluid pressure device the yokes and upper roll may be lowered.

Yokes I I, 12 are each provided with an extending nose ll, [2, at their opposite ends adapted to be engaged by pivoted latch bars 24 and locked down in pressure position as shown in Fig. 2 when the latch bars are swung inward, or released when the latch bars are swung outward as in Figs. 1 and 3.

These latch bars 24 are also preferably of double spaced side construction as indicated and straddle a lug 25 projecting from the frame plate and to which they are pivoted as at 26 nearer to the lower end of the bar so as to form of the bar a longer lever above the point of pivoting,

The lower ends of the latch bars are connected by coiled tension springs 21 hooked at their opposite ends to the machine frame as at 28 so as to normally urge the latch bars to swing outwardly at their upper ends to released position,

and they are forcibly swung against the spring tension to locked position, each by a fluid power cylinder device 28 mounted in an opening 3! in the frame plate and provided with a power plunger rod 3| pivotally connected at 32 with the lower end of the latch bar. Thus, when fluid pressure is applied to the power device 2% the latches are locked, and when the fluid pressure is released the latches are opened by releasing springs 21.

In Fig. 2 the upper forward wall of the latch bar 2 1 is broken away to show a roller 33 carried by the latch bar to engage over the beveled upper side of nose II of the yoke and pull it down as the latch bar is swung to latching position.

This roller is carried on a carriage 34 which is mounted to slide vertically within the latch bar and which may be adjusted verticall by means of a pressure screw 35 which may be locked at any point of Vertical adjustment as by bolts 36. By this means the final position of the pressure roll may be determined as may be required for the particular thickness of sheet metal being rolled or the curve desired.

When rolling thin sheet metal to tubular form, the rolled shape may easily be removed by springing it open and pulling it out when the rol s are released as in Fig. l, but if the metal is thick and the tube small it can only be removed b sliding it endwise from the upper roll about which it will be coiled. To meet this latter requirement the outer end it of upper roll ill is removably mounted in yoke i I, effected by providing a ring bearing 31 for the reduced outer end It of the roll suspended from the yoke by a pin 38 which passes through a lug 3'! extending'from the top of the bearing. This lug is preferably tapered toward its upper end and fits in a corresponding recess 39 depressed into the inner side of yoke l I, so that when pin 38 (preferably a taper pin) is knocked out the yoke can be swung back'to the position shown in Fig. 3; as permitted by slot Q 3 in heel of yoke H; and with th bearing Bl hanging freely on the end of the roll so that it may readily be slid off of the end of the roll (if required) to permit the closely rolled sheet metal tube to be slid endwise from the forming roll is.

When swinging back the outer end yoke H as above described, and shown in Fig, 3, there would be no, outboard support for the forming roll which might be projecting anywhere from to 20 feet or more from the other yoke I2 in which it has complete embraced bearing support, but which would break on account of the great overhang of the upper roll. 'I'o obviate this, the roll [0 is also extended in the opposite direction beyond yoke 12 preferably for a distance of from 5 to 0 feet as indicated at H1" in Fig. 4 and Where this extension comes to a stop against the upper end of a fixed socket member ll rigidly secured as at 42 to the end frame plate 3 of the machine. Thus the roll lo prevented by this socket from tipping upward or sidewise, and resting with its weight in its bearing in yoke 12, projects freely and firmly forward of yoke I2 for rough handling in sliding off a heavy formed tube, when its outer support by yoke I l is taken away as described.

As the control of the yokes and latches is preferably by fluid pressure, it is also desirable to drive the rolls by the same source of power, and hence t3 designates any conventional type of fluid pressure operated motor, such as a compressed air motor having a rotary output shaft it and which pref rably connects through any conventional speed reducing gear device having a final driving pinion 46 in turn engaging an idler pinion ll carried by frame plate 2 and meshing pinions 45, 38 respectively secured to the adjacent ends of rolls 6, 6, so as to drive both in the same direction.

In machines for very heavy work it may be desirable to also positively drive the upper roll Ill, and in which case it sufiices to add three spur pinions as indicated in Fig. 8 and wherein to is a relatively large idler pinion carried on a pivot concentric with. the axis of yoke pivot l3 meshing with one of the roll pinions 38, and also with an idler pinion 59 carried by the yoke i2 and which latter pinion meshes with a pinion 58 secured to tions to maintain the surface speed of all three.

rollers uniform, and pinion 5B offset to avoid pinion 48, and pinion 49 being thick enough to engage it from the offset plane of pinion 49all as well understood to anyone familiar with gearing so as to require no further details.

The air motor 43 actually employed on the first machine built was firmly secured to the frame of the machine as was the gear reduction device 45, and the particular air motor had a centering brace 43' extending from its rear end to the frame.

The actual fluid operated power devices 22, 29 used were of the regular diaphragm type as used for motor truck air brakes, tho any conventional cylinder and piston device could be used. In Fig. 4 the air piping and control valves are shown as a pip-e 5| coming from any source of air pressure, a main shut-off or service valve 52, branch pipe 53 leading to the air motor 63 with a valve 54 operated by means of an extension handle 55, two other branch pipes 58, 57 leading respectively to the power devices 22, 22, and 29, 29, and the pipes being respectively valved as at 58 and 5d at a height convenient to a standing operative, or provided with extension operating handles as dotted at E8 and 59', these two valves preferably belngaily conventional type of remote control air valve with pressure bleed off when closed to break the operating pressures to the power devices, in the well known manner to avoid the use of separate exhaust valves, tho the latter may be used if desired.

In operating the machine, from the position of 2, the valves are successively operated to-first release the pressure in power devices 2Q so that springs 27 will throw out the latch bars 2 to position shown in Fig. 1, pressure is applied to devices 22 to raise the upper roll H) to the posit on shown in Fig. 1, the sheet of metal is positioned to start between the rolls, pressure is released from devices 22 to lower roll l0. pres- :sure applied to devices 29 to swing the latch bars again tolocking position of Fig. 2, valve 5 3 is opened to start the air motor 33 to revolve the rolls.

After the rolling of the sheet metal is completed the air motor is stopped, upper roll raised to position shown in Fig. 1 and the tubular or formed sheet sprung open sufficient to remove it laterally from roll l0, tho as previously stated, if the formed tube is too stiff for springing open pin 38 is knocked out to release the bearing 3? at the end of roll l0, yoke H is thrown back to position shown in Fig. 3, the bearing 3'! is slipped off the end of the roll if necessary and the formed tube may then be slid off of the roll endwise.

A minor feature of the machine not described is the provision of limit notches 60, 6|, 62 in plates l and 2 to receive the transversely extending pivot pins I6, M of double links l5 to form limit stops, useful in assembling the machine, or overhauling the power device 22 so as to sup port the parts involved which are very heavy in a big machine for which the invention is primarily intended.

From the above description it will be evident to anyone skilled in this art that while we prefer the use of compressed air as an operating fluid, it may be water or oil and the exhaust fluid returned for further use as commonly understood, or when using air, a negative pressure may be employed and applied to the opposite sides of the diaphragm or piston power devices 22, 29. Also various other modifications in the details of construction may be made. but the arrangement shown has proven extremely effective and satisfactory in regular use in industry.

We therefore claim:

1. In a sheet metal forming machine of the type having a set of three rolls between which the sheet metal is carried to curve the sheet to tubular form, the improvement which comprises a pair of spaced yokes respectively at opposite ends of the operative portions of one of the rolls providing bearing supports therefor and pivotally mounted to provide for bodily swinging the roll toward and away from the other rolls, fluid operated power devices arranged for swinging said yokes to so swing the roll, and a pair of pivotally mounted latches arranged respectively to engage said yokes for locking them with their roll in operative position, and fluid operated power devices arranged for swinging said latches to yoke locking position.

2. In a construction as set out in claim 1 means associated with each latch for adjusting the effective pressure of the roll adjacent the yoke which it engages.

3. In a machine as set out in claim 2, motor driving means arranged for driving all three rolls simultaneously.

4. In a construction as set out in claim 1 means associated with each latch for adjusting the effective pressure of the roll adjacent the yoke which it engages, fluid operated motor means for revolving some of the rolls, and manually operated valve means arranged for selectively controlling said fluid'operated power devices and motor means. i

5. In a sheet metal forming machine of the type having a set of three rolls between which the sheet metal is carried to curve the sheet to tubular form, the improvement which comprises a pair of spaced yokes respectively at opposite ends of the operative portions of one of the rolls providing bearing supports therefor and pivotally mounted to provide for bodily swinging the roll toward and away from the other rolls, fluid operated power devices arranged for swinging said yokes to so swing the roll, means locking said yokes with their roll in operative position, said roll provided with a rigid extension projecting materially beyond one of said yc-kes to function as a lever for supporting said roll when released from operative position, rigid bracket means arranged to engage said extension when the roll is so released, and means for freeing the other yoke entirely from said roll to permit the slid ng of formed tubular sheet metal longitudinally therefrom.

6. In a sheet metal forming machine of the type having a set of three rolls between which the sheet metal is carried to curve the sheet to tubular form, the improvement which comprises a pair of spaced yokes respectively at opposite ends of the operative portions of one of the rolls providing bearing supports therefor and pivotally mounted to provide for bodily swinging the roll toward and away from the other rolls, fluid operated power devices arranged for swinging said yokes to so swing the roll, means locking said yokes with their roll in operative position, said roll provided with a rigid extension projecting materially beyond one of said yokes to function as a lever for supporting said roll when released from operative position, rigid bracket means arranged to engage said extension when the roll is so released, and means for freeing the other yoke entirely from said roll to permit the sliding of formed tubular sheet metal longitudinally therefrom comprising an annular bearing engaging the roll and releasably secured to said yoke.

7. In a machine as set out in claim 1, the machine including longitudinally extending frame members and vertically disposed solid end plates at the ends of the rolls, and said yokes being bifurcated to straddle said end plates and pivoted therethrough for swinging.

8. In a machine as set out in claim 1, the machine including longitudinally extending frame members and vertically disposed solid end plates at the ends of the rolls, and said yokes being bifurcated to straddle said end plates and pivoted therethrough for swinging, and said latches being also bifurcated to straddle a portion of the end plates and pivoted therethrough for swinging.

ALEXANDER H. ISENBERG. RONALD N. HIPP.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

